26 year old Asma Desai from Bolton, Greater Manchester uses drawing as a form of therapy. After suffering from an anxiety disorder, Asma found peace within her intricate lines, dots and minimalist art. Drawing became her means of personal expression. Over 2,000 other art lovers also find meaning and show admiration for her work as she shares her talents through the social media website Instagram (something she describes as being “a social hub for aspiring artists like myself”). I had the opportunity to interview her to find out more about her background, the history behind her art, and her hopes for the future.
I learnt very quickly how Asma is inspired by her South Asian background as her grandparents were born in Gujarat, India: “I am deeply inspired by their culture, upbringing and simplicity of life. Their values and mindset has taught me how to live life with meaning.” The importance of family for Asma is also evident through her Instagram name @Jadakara: “My Instagram name is a unique one which belongs to my grandparents and is dedicated to my mother, being her maiden name”.
Art for Asma is both a profession and a hobby as it is something she has pursued from a young age: “I always enjoyed art throughout high school and sixth form. My passion for the arts led me to study Art and Fashion Design at the University of Salford. Creativity has depth and soul to it and that is what I admire.” Her studies show how her art extends far beyond pen and paper, as she hopes to pursue a career in the fashion industry: “I am currently working in clothing and hope to set up a fashion label in the shortcoming future”.
Looking at her Instagram page, it is obvious that travel, architecture and photography play a huge role in influencing her work, but she explains how mood also inspires her when it comes to drawing: “I believe all my artwork is based around emotion and soul, hence why each drawing looks individual.” Asma also draws inspiration from and is a huge fan of Surrealism, Impressionism and Minimalism: “There are many artists that have inspired me with their work and they are usually the ones that embed the above three technique within their work.”
The intricacy and detail in her work is incredible and it is clear that each piece would take a lot of time, patience and perseverance. When asked how long she usually spends on each drawing, she explained: “Each piece is different and has its own time frame. I am usually so immersed in my drawings that sometimes I myself do not know precisely how long it takes to produce each piece, although some more intricate pieces have taken around 20 – 30 hours.”
When scrolling through her artwork, I couldn’t help but wonder where she hopes her work will take her in the future, and it seems as though her followers have a lot to look forward to: “I hope to do many collaborations with different artists such as calligraphists, artists that use techniques which compliment my work, and exhibit my work alongside theirs. This is my ambition for the future.”
Asma is currently working on a website through which she will be able to share her work. In the near future, there will also be an opportunity to purchase her prints online.
You can contact Asma through her Instagram account: @Jadakara as well as her email address: jadakara@outlook.com
Images
Main Image: Asma Desai, also known as Jadakara.
Taj Mahal: “Freehand illustration of the Taj Mahal (Agra, India). (Approx: 1 hour) Inspired from my travels to India…”
Cairo: “Close up. Whilst thinking of the composition of my next artwork Insha’Allah.”
City of Istanbul: “|| City of Istanbul || Drawn out of Lines.”
The Blue Mosque, Istanbul: “Detailed Freehand Fineliner Illustration. Intrigued by detail in architecture.”
Makkah: “~ The Holy Lands ~ My completed illustration using mainly 0.1 and XS fineliners. The most detailed one yet! May Allah swt take me there one day…”
The Heart: “Detail within the five hearts show excerpts of the Blue Mosque (Istanbul), Qolsharif Mosque (Kazan Kremlin, Russia), Jame Asr Hassanil Bolkiah (Brunei) and Masjid al Haram in Makkah (Saudi Arabia).”
